Clippers small forward Matt Barnes puts up a shot despite the defensive efforts of Kings point guard Greivis Vasquez during the first half. MARK J. TERRILL, AP

LOS ANGELES – There wasn’t a lot to look forward to other than the preseason ending Friday night at Staples Center.

Doc Rivers went as far as to joke he wished the game could be played out of state in a small town so no one could see.

But if there was one reason to come out to watch the Clippers and the Sacramento Kings, it happened in the first quarter when DeAndre Jordan and DeMarcus Cousins battled.

Jordan, the Clippers’ best interior defender, and Cousins, one of the game’s most skilled big men, had Rivers excited before the tip.

“It’s a good challenge. I love this,” Rivers said. “This is the one part I love because I think Cousins is really a good player.”

Even though Cousins scored 20 points, Jordan was the better player when both were on the floor in the Kings’ 110-100 victory.

He limited Cousins to 3-of-7 shooting in the first seven minutes before Cousins had to leave because of three fouls. In that same span, Jordan slammed home three dunks and dropped in a hook shot for eight points. Jordan also blocked two shots and grabbed four rebounds in the quarter.

The two players battled in Las Vegas this summer as part of Team USA, and before Friday’s game, Jordan said he was excited for the challenge.

“DeMarcus is way talented. He can score, man. He can score in the post. He can score on the outside. He’s so skilled,” Jordan said. “He definitely makes you want to play defense even harder. He can score, and if you’re a competitor, you want to shut him down.”

Jordan finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.

Separation anxiety

Rivers said he will head into the regular-season opener with the Lakers unsure of whom the first big man off the bench will be, and that wasn’t the plan.

“The one thing every coach wants is separation,” Rivers said.

Between Antawn Jamison, Byron Mullens and Ryan Hollins there hasn’t been much separation at all. The likely choice will be between Mullens and Jamison.

“At the end of the day, it’ll be by committee,” Rivers said. “If someone separates, that’ll be great. We’ll have two guys, and we can play either one. You just hope you pick the right guy. If it’s not going well, you play the other guy.”

Jamison said he anticipates someone will eventually become the consistent choice.

“As you get further into the season, I think we’ll get a better understanding of who that first big is,” Jamison said. “I think especially in the preseason, we’re trying to see which guys go together.”

Jamison said everyone is fine with things for now, but as minutes and shots get scarcer, players will have to remember why they came to the team in the first place — to win.

“Everybody’s bought in and understanding that it’s not about ‘I’ or ‘what I can do,’ but it’s about sacrificing for the sake of the team,” Jamison said.

No such luck

Rivers hoped to have his entire team on the floor Friday with Matt Barnes coming back from a calf injury. But a bruised left kneecap for Darren Collison kept the Clippers from being whole for the first time this preseason.

Collison suffered the injury Wednesday against Utah and missed practice Thursday. He’s expected to be fine in time for Tuesday’s opener.

Barnes, who hadn’t played in a game all preseason, fouled out in 21 minutes.

Notes

Reggie Bullock made his first field-goal attempt as a professional, hitting a 3-point shot in the first half. … Rivers said he expects the Clippers to enter the season with 14 players on the roster, meaning forward Louis Amundson likely will be waived.

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